Westminster elects its first Vietnamese American mayor

WESTMINSTER This city – home to the nation's largest Little Saigon – elected its first Vietnamese American mayor on Tuesday.

Councilman Tri Ta said he also is the first elected – as opposed to appointed – Vietnamese American mayor in the country.

"I'm honored," Ta said late Tuesday night. "It's really an honor for the community and the country."

Ta celebrated at an El Torito earlier in the evening with supporters and Mayor Margie Rice, the city's long-time mayor who endorsed him as her replacement.

"Her endorsement helped me a lot. I really want to thank her for her support," Ta said.

Ta won with 42.5 percent of the votes. His closest opponent was Penny Loomer, who netted 30 percent. Trailing behind were candidates Al Hamade, Ha Mach and Tamara Sue Pennington.

Meanwhile, with all precincts reporting, Sergio Contreras, a Westminster School District trustee, was the leading vote-getter with approximately 26 percent of the ballots. Diana Carey, a city traffic commissioner, followed with nearly 21 percent. Councilman Tyler Diep trailed Carey with nearly 19 percent of the ballots.

Rice endorsed both Contreras and Carey, but not Diep – and that may have hurt him in the election, Diep acknowledged late Tuesday.

"I think that Mayor Rice has a lot of followers and certainly has an impact in any race in the city. Had Margie endorsed me, I would have had more votes," he said.

But Diep said he was far from conceding the race.

"It's a little uncomfortable. But I'm optimistic about the final results," he said.